At Sheffield Technology Parks, we’re home to companies solving real-world problems through innovation. One of those is Tend, a fast-growing health tech company developing a new approach to pain relief that’s already gaining traction with elite athletes, healthcare professionals, and consumers worldwide.

Though still a young business, Tend’s impact is global, with products designed in the UK, manufactured in China, and a rapidly growing customer base led by the United States. We caught up with Claire Stachniewska, Head of Growth at Tend, who brings experience from a range of international tech startups, to find out more about the company’s journey so far.

Rethinking pain relief: the problem, the product and the demand

Tend was founded by Will Ranscombe and Rob Scott to address a gap in the market: how to continue effective physiotherapy treatment outside of the clinic. The idea originated through professional sport, as Claire explains:

“The idea came from Will’s friend, who’s the physio for Manchester United. He wanted something players could take with them so they could continue treatment while travelling.”

The result is a handheld device using focal vibration therapy, designed to deliver targeted treatment deep into muscle tissue. The technology works very differently to other products on the market, such as massage guns.

“Massage guns pound the surface of the muscle,” says Claire. “Whereas Tend goes deeper into the tissue using vibration. It’s a completely different approach.”

This distinction - and its results - has driven strong demand among physiotherapists, massage therapists, and osteopaths, many of whom now use Tend in clinical settings. The company currently works with over 500 medical professionals, supported by an affiliate partnership model that helps spread adoption through trusted networks.

Significantly, Tend is not positioned solely as a professional sports product.

“It’s for anyone and everyone,” Claire says. “Physio is expensive, and if you’re in pain and can’t do the things you love, Tend lets you do treatment yourself.”

That broad appeal is reflected in sales performance. Tend currently sells around 600 units per month direct-to-consumer, with approximately 70% of sales coming from the US. Despite being based in Sheffield, the brand has built a strong following in cities like Los Angeles, driven by digital marketing, word of mouth, and professional endorsement.

Challenges: regulation, visibility and endorsement

Like many health tech companies, Tend operates in a complex landscape. One of the most significant long-term challenges is navigating healthcare systems such as the NHS.

“It’s definitely on the cards,” Claire says, “but the barriers to accessing the NHS are quite high, so it’s not our top priority right now.”

Another challenge is visibility in high-profile professional sport. While Tend is widely used by elite athletes across teams and leagues including Premiership Rugby, Team GB, the NFL (National Football League) and MLB (Major League Baseball), many are unable to publicly endorse the product.

“A lot of athletes are under strict sponsorship contracts,” Claire explains. “They can’t just say they love anything because they’re tied to other medical or sports brands.”

Despite this, Tend continues to see high-profile athletes purchasing products independently, a sure sign of trust in the technology.

Behind the scenes, the company also navigates the regulatory demands of selling a health-focused product internationally. Manufacturing and testing take place in China, where devices undergo rigorous compliance processes to meet the standards of different global markets, including highly regulated countries such as Japan.

A small, global team, rooted in Sheffield

Tend operates with a deliberately lean team structure. The core team is split between Sheffield and China, reflecting the company’s design, manufacturing and distribution model.

Co-founder Will, who leads product, partnerships and B2B relationships, is based in Sheffield, alongside Claire and Annelize Pretorius, Head of Operations, who manages global logistics and distributor relationships. Co-founder Rob is based in China, where production and R&D are carried out.

“It’s a genuinely global operation,” Claire says. “We’re stocked worldwide, with distributors in places like Canada and Japan.”

Nonetheless, Sheffield plays a central role in the company’s identity. Will relocated from London several years ago, bringing his remit of the business with him and Tend has been based at Sheffield Technology Parks for just over a year.

For Claire, who has a diverse background in international tech startups, the location matters. Before joining Tend, she spent eight years working with VC-backed tech companies in Berlin and has experienced first-hand what it’s like to work entirely remotely.

“I worked remotely for years, even before the pandemic,” she says. “But I realised I really value having a separate space for work and being around other people. Being fully remote can feel quite isolating, it’s hard to properly switch off when work is so close to home.”

Now based at Sheffield Technology Parks, Claire values the balance the environment offers.

“I love working here,” she adds. “Being around other tech and science businesses, having those informal conversations, and just being able to sit next to colleagues and talk things through - it really makes a difference. It feels like the right environment to grow, both personally and as a business.”

As Tend continues to expand its product range - including new attachments, consumables and a next-generation device - the company remains focused on growing sustainably, without losing the close connection to users that has shaped its success so far.

For Claire, that connection is central to why she enjoys working at Tend.

“I really love working at Tend because I genuinely love the product,” she says. “And the customers love it too. That makes such a difference when you’re marketing something - it’s an easy thing to talk about when you know how much it helps people.”

Being part of a small team means those customer stories are never far away.

“You hear directly from people whose lives have genuinely changed,” Claire adds. “They couldn’t move properly before, and now they can. Seeing that real human impact can be emotional, but it’s what makes it so exciting.”

You can find out more about Tend and the company’s product line, on the website: https://www.tend.global/